Do not grumble, brothers, against one another,
so that you will not be judged.
Behold, the judge stands at the door.
Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of patience,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Behold, we call them blessed who endured.
You have heard of the patience of Job,
and have seen the Lord in the outcome,
and how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

But above all things, my brothers, do not swear,
not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath,
but let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no," "no;"
lest you fall into hypocrisy.

Responsorial – Psalm 103.1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 11-12 Resp. 8a

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Praise The Lord, my soul!
All that is within me, praise his holy name!
Praise The Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

He forgives all your sins;
he heals all your diseases;
he redeems your life from destruction;
he crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always accuse;
nor will he stay angry forever.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Gospel – Mark 10.1-12

Jesus came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan.
Crowds came together to him again.
As he usually did, he was again teaching them.

Pharisees came to him and asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his woman?”
He answered, “What did Moses command you?”
They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”
But Jesus said to them,
“For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a human will leave his father and mother, and will join to his woman,
and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.
What therefore God has joined together, no human may separate.”

In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter.
He said to them, “Whoever divorces his woman, and marries another,
commits adultery against her.
If a woman divorces her man, and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming.
Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten.
Your gold and your silver have corroded,
and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you,
and will eat your flesh like fire.
You have laid up your treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields cry out,
which you have kept back by fraud,
and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived luxuriously on the earth, and taken your pleasure.
You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous one.
He does not resist you.

This is the destiny of those who are foolish,
and of those who approve their boasting.
They are appointed as a flock for Sheol.
Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Their beauty shall decay in Sheol,
far from their home.
But God will redeem my soul
from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Do not be afraid when a man is made rich,
when the glory of his house is increased.
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away.
His glory shall not descend after him.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Though while he lived he blessed his soul,
“Men praise you when you do well for yourself”,
he shall go to the generation of his fathers.
They shall never see the light.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Gospel – Mark 9.41-50

Jesus said to his disciples:
For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink, because you are Christ’s,
amen I tell you, they will certainly not lose their reward.
Whoever ensnares one of these little ones who believe in me,
it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea
with a millstone hung around his neck.
If your hand ensnares you, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed,
rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.
If your foot ensnares you, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life lame,
rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna.
If your eye ensnares you, pluck it out.
It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye,
rather than with two eyes to be cast into Gehenna
‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
For everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is beautiful, but if the salt has lost its saltiness,
how will you make it salty again?
Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Beloved:
Come now, you who say,
“Today or tomorrow let us go into such and such a city,
and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”
You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow!
What is your life?
For you are a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
You ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
But now you boast in your arrogance.
All such boasting is evil.
To whoever therefore who knows the good action, and does not do it,
it is a sin for them.

Responsorial – Psalm 49.2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11 Resp. Matthew 5:3

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Hear this, all you peoples.
Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,
both low and high,
rich and poor together.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Why should I fear in the days of evil,
when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
Those who trust in their wealth,
and boast in the multitude of their riches.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
nor give God a ransom for him.
For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,
That he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

For he sees that wise men die
just as the fool and the senseless perish,
and leave their wealth to others.

R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Gospel – Mark 9.38-40

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name,
and we forbade him, because he does not follow us.”
But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him,
for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name,
and be able at the same time to speak evil of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Beloved:
Where do the wars and battles among you come from?
Do they not come from your desires
that make war among your own body parts?
You want and do not have.
You kill and envy but cannot obtain.
You fight and wage war.

You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive,
because you ask incorrectly,
to spend it for your desires.
Do you adulterers, not know that
love of the world is hostility toward God?

Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain,
“The Spirit who lives in us jealously yearns”?
But he gives more grace.
Therefore it says,
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Be subject therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners;
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Lament, mourn, and weep.
Let your laughter be turned to mourning,
and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and he will exalt you.

Responsorial – Psalm 55.7-8, 9-10a, 10b-11a, 23 Resp. 23a

R. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.

I said, “O to have wings like a dove!
I would fly away, and be at rest.
Behold, then I would wander far off.
I would lodge in the wilderness.”

R. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.

“I would hurry to a shelter
from the stormy wind and storm.”
Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language.

R. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.

I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they prowl around on its walls.

R. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you.
He will never allow the righteous to be moved.

R. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.

Gospel – Mark 9.30-37

Jesus and his disciples
went away from there and passed through Galilee.
He did not want anyone to know it.
For he was teaching his disciples and said to them,
“The Son of human is being handed over into the hands of humans,
and they will kill him;
and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.”

They did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them,
“What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”
But they were silent,
for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.
He sat down, and called the Twelve, and he said to them,
“If anyone wants to be first,
they shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
He took an infant and stood him in their midst.
Taking him in his arms, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one such infant in my name,
receives me, and whoever receives me,
receives not me but him who sent me.”

Beloved:
Who among you is wise and intelligent?
Let them show by their good conduct
that their deeds are done
in the humility of wisdom.

But if you have bitter jealousy
and selfish ambition in your heart,
do not boast and lie against the truth.
That wisdom is not what comes down from above,
but is earthly, soulful, and demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition are,
there is confusion and every evil deed.

But the wisdom that is from above
is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, listening,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality and without hypocrisy.
The fruit of righteousness is planted in peace,
for those who make peace.

Responsorial – Psalm 19.8, 9, 10, 15 R. 9a

R. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
restoring the soul.
The covenant of the Lord is sure,
making the simple wise.

R. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes.

R. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.

R. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock, and my redeemer.

R. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

Gospel – Mark 9.14-29

As Jesus came down the mountain
with Peter, James, and John,
coming to the other disciples,
he saw a great crowd around them,
and scribes questioning them.
Immediately all the crowd,
when they saw him, were greatly amazed,
and running to him greeted him.

He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”
One of the crowd answered,
“Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit;
and wherever it seizes him,
it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth,
and grinds his teeth, and wastes away.
I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able.”

He answered him,
“Unbelieving kind, how long shall I be with you?
How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
They brought him to him, and when he saw him,
immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground,
wallowing and foaming at the mouth.
He asked his father,
“How long has it been since this has come to him?”
He said, “From childhood.
Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water,
to destroy him.
But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”

Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?!’Everything is possible by faith.”
Immediately the father of the child, crying, said,
“I do believe. Help my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was gathering,
he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him,
“You mute and deaf spirit, I command you,
come out of him, and never enter him again!”
Crying, and heaving greatly, it came out.
The boy became like one dead;
so much that most of them said that he had died.
But Jesus took his hand and raised him up, and he got up.
When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him by himself,
“Why were we not able to cast it out?”
He said to them,
“That kind cannot come out at all except by prayer and fasting.”

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them,
‘You shall be holy; for I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart.
You shall surely rebuke your neighbor,
and not bear sin because of him.
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people;
but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the Lord.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Praise The Lord, my soul!
All that is within me, praise his holy name!
Praise The Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

He forgives all your sins;
he heals all your diseases;
he redeems your life from destruction;
he crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor repaid us according to our guilt.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Like a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Reading 2 – 1 Corinthians 3.16-23

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you ?
if anyone destroys the temple of God,
God will destroy them.
For holy is the temple of God, which you are.

Let no one deceive themself.
If anyone among you thinks that they are wise in this world,
let them become a fool, that they may become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
For it is written,
“He has caught the wise in their cleverness.”
And again,
“The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”

Therefore let no one boast in humans. For all things are yours,
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Kephas, or the world, or life, or death,
or things present, or things to come.
All are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Gospel – Matthew 5.38-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil;
but whoever strikes you on your right cheek,
turn to them the other also.
If anyone sues you to take away your coat,
let them have your cloak also.
Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with them two.
Give to the one who asks you,
and do not turn away the one who desires to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you,
do good to those who hate you,
and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.
For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
If you only greet your brothers and sisters,
what more do you do than others?
Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Beloved:
Therefore I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter,
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ,
who will also share in the glory that will be revealed:
shepherd the flock of God which is among you,
exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily,
not for dishonest gain, but willingly;
nor as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.
When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Responsorial – Psalm 23.1-3a, 4, 5, 6 Resp. 1

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He has me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff –
they comfort me.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

You prepare a table before me,
in the presence of my foes.
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Gospel – Matthew 16.13-19

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples, saying,
“Who do humans say that the Son of Human is?”
They said, “Some say John the Baptist,
some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah,
or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but my Father who is in heaven.
I also tell you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the underworld will not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth
will have been bound in heaven;
and whatever you release on earth
will be released in heaven.”

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says they have faith but not works?
Faith cannot save them, can it?
And if a brother or sister is naked and lacks basic food,
and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, keep warm and well-fed”
and you do not give them the things the body needs,
what good is that?
Even so faith, if it has no works,is dead according to its own nature.

But someone will say that you have faith and I have works.
Show me your faith separate from works,
and I will show you, by my works, my faith.

You believe that God is one.
You do well.
The demons also believe and shudder.
But do you want to know, vain man,
that faith apart from works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works,
in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
You see that faith worked with his works,
and by works faith was perfected;
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says,
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”;
and he was called the friend of God.
You see then that by works, a human is justified, and not only by faith.

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead,
even so faith apart from works is dead.

Responsorial – Psalm 112.1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. 1b

R. Blessed is the man who delights greatly in the Lord’s commandments.

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who delights greatly in his commandments.
His seed will be mighty in the land.
The generation of the upright will be blessed.

R. Blessed is the human who delights greatly in the Lord’s commandments.

Wealth and riches are in his house.
His righteousness endures forever.
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright,
gracious, merciful, and righteous.

R. Blessed is the human who delights greatly in the Lord’s commandments.

It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends.
He will maintain his cause in judgment.
For he will never be shaken.
The righteous will be remembered forever.

R. Blessed is the human who delights greatly in the Lord’s commandments.

Gospel – Mark 8.34-9:1

Jesus called the crowd to himself
with his disciples, and said to them,
“Whoever wants to come after me,
let them deny themself, and take up their cross, and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it;
and whoever will lose their life for my sake and the sake of the Gospel
will save it.

For what does it profit a human,
to gain the whole world, and forfeit their soul?
For what will a human give in exchange for their soul?
For whoever might be ashamed of me and of my words
among the kind who are adulterous and sinful,
the Son of Human also will be ashamed of them,
when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
He said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
there are some standing here who will not even taste death
until they see the Kingdom of God having come with power.”

My brothers and sisters,
do not hold the faith of our Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, with partiality.
For if someone with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue,
and a poor person in filthy clothing also comes in;
and you pay special attention to the one who wears the fine clothing,
and say, “Sit here in a good place”;
and you tell the poor person, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”;
have you not shown partiality among yourselves,
and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers.
Did God not choose those who are poor in this world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom
which he promised to those who love him?
But you have dishonored the poor person.
Do not the rich oppress you, and personally drag you into court?
Do they not blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
But if you show partiality, you commit sin,
being convicted by the law as transgressors.

Responsorial – Psalm 34.2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Resp. 7a

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

I will bless the Lord at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth.
My soul shall boast in the Lord.
The humble shall hear of it, and be glad.

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

Oh magnify the Lord with me.
Let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

They looked to him, and were radiant.
Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

Gospel – Mark 8.27-33

Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
On the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do humans say that I am?”
They told him, “John the Baptist, and others, Elijah,
and others, one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.

He began to teach them that the Son of Human must suffer many things,
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and after three days rise again.
He spoke to them openly.
Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him.
But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples,
rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan!
For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of humans.”

So, then, my beloved brothers and sisters,
let every human be swift to hear,
slow to speak, and slow to anger;
for the anger of man does not produce
the righteousness of God.
Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing wickedness,
receive with humility the implanted word,
which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not only hearers,
deluding your own selves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word but not a doer,
they are like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;
for he sees himself, and goes away,
and immediately forgets what sort he is.
But they who look into the perfect law of freedom,
and continue, not as a hearer who forgets, but as a doer of the work,
this one will be blessed in what they do.

If anyone among you thinks themself to be religious
while they do not bridle their tongue,
deceiving their heart,
this one’s religion is worthless.
Pure religion, undefiled before our God and Father, is this:
to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Responsorial – Psalm 15.2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5; Resp. 1b

R. Lord, who shall live on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right,
and speaks truth in his heart;
and does not slander with his tongue,

R. Lord, who shall live on your holy hill?

He who does no evil to his friend,
nor casts slurs against his fellow human;
in whose eyes a vile man is despised,
but who honors those who fear the Lord.

R. Lord, who shall live on your holy hill?

He who does not lend out his money for usury,
nor take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be shaken.

R. Lord, who shall live on your holy hill?

Gospel – Mark 8.22-26

Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida.
They brought a blind man to him,
and begged him to touch him.
He took hold of the blind man by the hand
and brought him out of the village.
When he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him,
he asked him if he saw anything.
He looked up, and said,
“I see humans; that are as trees that I see walking.”
Again he laid his hands on his eyes.
He looked intently, and was restored,
and saw everyone clearly.
He sent him away to his house, saying,
“Do not enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”

Blessed is the man who endures temptation,
for when he has been proven,
he will receive the crown of life,
which the Lord promised to those who love him.

Let no one say when they are tempted,
“I am tempted by God,”
for God cannot be tempted by evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
But each one is tempted,
when he is drawn away by his own desires, and enticed.
Then the desire, when it has conceived, bears sin;
and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom can be no variation, nor shifting shadow.
Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth,
that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Responsorial – Psalm 94.12-13a, 14-15, 18-19 Resp. 12a

R. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord.

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,
and teach with your law;
that you may give him rest from the days of adversity,

R. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord.

For the Lord will not reject his people,
nor will he forsake his inheritance.
For judgment will return to righteousness.
All the upright in heart shall follow it.

R. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord.

When I said, “My foot is slipping!”
Your loving kindness, the Lord, held me up.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me,
your comforts delight my soul.

R. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord.

Gospel – Mark 8.14-21

The disciples forgot to bring bread;
and they did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
Jesus warned them, saying, “Take heed:
beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
They reasoned with one another, saying,
“It is because we have no bread.”

Jesus, perceiving it, said to them,
“Why do you reason that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not perceive yet, nor understand?
Are your hearts still hardened?
You have eyes; do you not see?
You have ears, do you not hear?
Do you not remember?
When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand,
how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
They told him, “Twelve.”
“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand,
how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
They told him, “Seven.”
He asked them, “Do you not yet understand?”

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion:
Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance.
Let endurance work completely,
that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
let them ask of God,
who gives to all liberally and without reproach;
and it will be given to them.
But let them ask in faith, without any doubting,
for they who doubt are like a wave of the sea,
driven by the wind and tossed.
Let not that human think
that they will receive anything from the Lord.
They are a double-minded human,
unstable in all their ways.

But let the brother and sister in humble circumstances
glory in their high position;
and the rich in their humility,
because like the flower in the grass,
he will pass away.
For the sun arises with the scorching wind,
and withers the grass,
and the flower in it falls,
and the beauty of its appearance perishes.
Thus also will the rich fade away in their pursuits.

Responsorial – Psalm 119.67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76 Resp. 77a

R. Let your tender mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray;
but now I observe your word.

R. Let your tender mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live.

You are good, and do good.
Teach me your statutes.

R. Let your tender mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.

R. Let your tender mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live.

The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

R. Let your tender mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live.

Lord, I know that your judgments are righteous,
that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

R. Let your tender mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live.

Please let your loving kindness be for my comfort,
according to your word to your servant.

R. Let your tender mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live.

Gospel – Mark 8.11-13

The Pharisees came out and began to question Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven,
and testing him.
He sighed deeply in his spirit,
and said, “Why does this kind seek a sign?
Amen I say to you, no sign will be given to this kind.”
He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.

If you choose, you can keep the commandments;
And to perform faithfulness is of your own free will.
He has set fire and water before you:
stretch forth your hand to whichever you will.
Before man is life and death;
and whichever he likes, it shall be given him.
For great is the wisdom of the Lord:
he is mighty in power, and sees all things;
and his eyes are upon those who fear him;
and he has knowledge of every work of man.
He has not commanded any man to be ungodly;
and he has not given any man license to sin.

Responsorial – Psalm 119.1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 Resp. 1b

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the Lord’s law.
Blessed are those who keep his statutes,
who seek him with their whole heart.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

You have commanded your precepts,
that we should fully obey them.
O that my ways were steadfast
to obey your statutes!

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Do good to your servant. I will live,
and I will obey your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
the wonders from your law.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.
I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law.
Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Reading 2 1 COR 2:6-10

Brothers and sisters:
We speak wisdom among those who finished,
yet a wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age,
who are coming to nothing.
But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the secrets,
which God foreordained before the ages for our glory,
which none of the rulers of this age have known.
For if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But just as it is written:
“What eye did not see, and ear did not hear,
what did not mount upon the heart of a human,
God prepared for those who love him.”
For to us, God revealed them through the Spirit,
for the Spirit searches all, even the depths of God.

Gospel - Matthew 5.17-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that
I came to destroy
the law or the prophets.
I came not to destroy but to fulfill.
For most certainly, I tell you,
until heaven and earth pass away,
not even one iota or one comma
shall in any way pass away from the law,
until all things are accomplished.
Whoever, therefore, shall break
one of these least commandments
and teach others to do so,
shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;
but whoever shall do and teach them
shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

For I tell you that
unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
there is no way
you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
“You have heard
that it was said to the ancient ones,
‘You shall not murder;’ and
‘Whoever shall murder
shall be in danger of the judgment.’
But I tell you that
everyone who is angry with his brother
shall be in danger of the judgment;
and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raqa!’
shall be in danger of the Sanhedren;
and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’
shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

“If therefore
you are offering your gift at the altar,
and there remember that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there before the altar,
and go your way.
First be reconciled to your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Agree with your adversary quickly,
while you are with him on the way;
lest the prosecutor deliver you to the judge,
and the judge deliver you to the guard,
and you be cast into prison.
Most certainly I tell you,
you shall by no means get out of there,
until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall not commit adultery’,
but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye ensnares you, pluck it out and throw it away from you.
For it is better for you that one of your parts should perish,
than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
If your right hand ensnares you, cut it off and throw it away from you.
For it is better for you that one of your parts should perish,
than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

It was also said,
'Whoever sends away his wife, let him give her a writ of divorce',
but I tell you that whoever sends away his wife,
(except because of perversion),
makes her commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorcée commits adultery.

Again you have heard that it was said to the ancients,
‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows’,
but I tell you, do not swear at all,
neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet,
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Nor shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black,
but let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’.
Anything more than this is of the evil one.”

Jeroboam said in his heart,
“Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
If this people goes up to offer sacrifices
in the Lord’s house at Jerusalem,
then the hearts of these people
will turn again to their master,
to Rehoboam king of Judah;
and they will kill me,
and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

So the king took counsel,
and made two calves of gold;
and he said to them,
“Long enough have you gone up to Jerusalem.
Look and see your God, Israel,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
This thing became a sin;
for the people went to worship, even going to the one in Dan.
He made temples on the high places,
and made priests from among the people
who were not of the sons of Levi.
Jeroboam ordained a feast
in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month,
like the feast that is in Judah,
and he went up to the altar in Bethel,
sacrificing to the calves that he had made:
and he placed in Bethel
the priests of the high places that he he built.

After this Jeroboam did not return from his evil way,
but again made priests of the high places
from among all the people.
Whoever wanted to, he consecrated him,
that there might be priests of the high places.
This was a sin of the house of Jeroboam,
so it was cut off and destroyed from the face of the earth.

Responsorial – Psalm 106.6-7ab, 19-20, 21-22 Resp. 4a

R. Remember me, the Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

We have sinned with our fathers.
We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly.
Our fathers, in Egypt,
did not understand your wonders.

R. Remember me, the Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

They made a calf in Horeb,
and worshiped a molten image.
Thus they exchanged their glory
for an image of a bull that eats grass.

R. Remember me, the Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome things by the Red Sea.

R. Remember me, the Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

Gospel – Mark 8.1-10

In those days, when there was once again
a very large crowd who had nothing to eat.
Jesus called his disciples to himself,
and said to them,
“I have compassion for the crowd,
because they have stayed with me now three days,
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away fasting to their home,
they will faint on the way,
for some of them have come a long way.”

His disciples answered him,
“From where could one satisfy
these people with bread here in a deserted place?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They said, “Seven.”
He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground,
and he took the seven loaves.
Having given thanks, he broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to serve,
and they served the crowd.
And they had a few small fish.
Having blessed them, he said to serve these also.

They ate, and were filled.
They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
Those who had eaten were about four thousand.
Then he sent them away.

Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples,
and came into the region of Dalmanutha.

Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem,
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the way.
Now Ahijah had clad himself with a new cloak;
and the two of them were alone in the field.
Ahijah took off his new cloak that he had on and tore it in twelve pieces.

He said to Jeroboam:
“Take ten pieces;
for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel,
‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon,
and will give ten tribes to you.
He shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake
and for Jerusalem’s sake,
the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

So Israel has rebelled against the house of David
even to this day.

Responsorial – Psalm 81.10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15 Resp. 11a+9a

R. I am the Lord, your God. Listen to me!

There shall be no strange god among you,
nor shall you worship any foreign god.
I am the Lord, your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

R. I am the Lord, your God. Listen to me!

My people did not listen to my voice.
Israel wanted nothing to do with me.
So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts,
that they might walk in their own counsels.

R. I am the Lord, your God. Listen to me!

Oh that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies,
and turn my hand against their adversaries.

R. I am the Lord, your God. Listen to me!

Gospel – Mark 7.31-37

Jesus departed from the borders of Tyre,
and came through Sidon to the sea of Galilee,
in the middle of the region of Decapolis.

They brought to him a deaf man who had trouble speaking,
and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

He took him by himself,away from the crowd,
and put his fingers into his ears,
and he spat and touched his tongue.
Looking up into heaven, he sighed, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
Immediately his ears were opened,
and the bond on his tongue was undone, and he spoke clearly.
He commanded them that they should tell no one,
but the more he commanded them, so much more widely they proclaimed it.
They were astonished beyond measure, saying,
“He has done all things beautifully.
He both makes the deaf hear and the unspeaking speak!”

When Solomon was old,
his wives turned away his heart to other gods;
and his heart was not perfectly
with the Lord his God,
as was the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after
Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians,
and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.
Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord
and did not go fully after the Lord,
as did David his father.

Then Solomon built a high place for
Chemosh the abomination of Moab,
on the mountain that is opposite Jerusalem,
and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.
So he did for all his foreign wives,
who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.

The Lord was angry with Solomon,
because his heart was turned away from
the Lord, the God of Israel,
who had appeared to him twice,
and had commanded him concerning this thing,
that he should not go after other gods:
but he did not keep the Lord's command.

Therefore the Lord said to Solomon,
“Because this is done by you,
and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes,
which I have commanded you,
I will surely tear the kingdom from you,
and will give it to your servant.
I will not do it in your days,
for David your father’s sake;
but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
However I will not tear away all the kingdom;
I will give one tribe to your son,
for David my servant’s sake,
and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

Responsorial – Psalm 106.3-4, 35-36, 37+40 Resp. 4a

R. Remember us, O Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

Blessed are those who keep justice.
Blessed is one who always does what is right.
Remember us, O Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.
Visit us with your salvation,

R. Remember us, O Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

But they mixed themselves with the nations,
and learned their works.
They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.

R. Remember us, O Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

Yes, they sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
Therefore the Lord burned with anger against his people.
He abhorred his inheritance.

R. Remember us, O Lord, with the favor that you show to your people.

Gospel - Mark 7.24-30

From there Jesus arose and went away into the borders of Tyre.
He entered into a house,
and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice.
For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit,
having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.
Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race.

She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.
But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first,
for it is not appropriate
to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
But she answered him,
“Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
He said to her, “For this saying, go your way.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
She went away to her house,
and found the child having been laid on the bed,
with the demon gone out.

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon
she came to test him with hard questions.
She came to Jerusalem with a very great company,
with camels that bore spices,
and very much gold and precious stones;
and when she had come to Solomon,
she talked with him of all that was in her heart.
Solomon explained to her all her questions:
there was not anything hidden from the king
which he could not tell her.

When the queen of Sheba had seen
all the wisdom of Solomon,
and the house that he had built,
and the food of his table,
and the seating of his ministers,
and the attendance of his servants,
and their clothing, and his cup bearers,
and his burnt offerings which went up in the Temple of the Lord;
she was breathless.

She said to the king,
“It was a true report that I heard
in my own land of your acts,
and of your wisdom,
but I did not believe the words,
until I came, and my eyes had seen it.
Behold, the half was not told me!
Your wisdom and prosperity exceed
the rumors which I heard.
Happy are your men,
happy are these your servants,
who stand continually before you,
who hear your wisdom.
Blessed is the Lord your God,
who delighted in you,
to set you on the throne of Israel.
Because the Lord loved Israel forever,
therefore made he you king,
to do justice and righteousness.”
She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold,
and a lot of spices and precious stones.
Never again was there such an abundance of spices
as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Responsorial – Psalm 37.5-6, 30-31, 39-40 Resp. 30a

R. The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.

Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust also in him, and he will do this:
he will make your righteousness come out as the light,
and your justice as the noon day sun.

R. The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.

The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.
His tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart.
None of his steps shall slip.

R. The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord.
He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them, and rescues them.
He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them,
Because they have taken refuge in him.

R. The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.

Gospel – Mark 7.14-23

Jesus called all the crowds to himself,
and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
There is nothing from outside of the human,
that going into them can defile them;
but the things which proceed out of the human
are those that defile the human.
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

When he had entered into a house
away from the crowd,
his disciples asked him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are you thus without understanding also?
Do you not perceive that
whatever goes into the human
from outside cannot defile them,
because it does not go into their heart,
but into their stomach, then into the toilet"
(Thus all foods are clean)

He said, “That which comes out from the human,
that defiles the human.
For from within, out of the hearts of humans,
proceed evil thoughts, unchastity,
murders, adulteries, thefts,
greed, wickedness, deceit,
lustful desires, and envious eyes,
blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.
All these evil things come from within,
and defile the human.”

Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord
in the presence of all the assembly of Israel,
and spread out his hands toward heaven;
and he said, “Lord, God of Israel,
there is no God like you,
in heaven above, or on earth beneath;
who keep covenant and loving kindness with
your servants who walk before you with all their heart;

Will God indeed dwell on the earth?
Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens
cannot contain you;
how much less this house that I have built!
Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant,
and for his supplication, Lord my God.
Listen to the cry and to the prayer
which your servant prays before you this day;
that your eyes may be open
toward this house night and day,
even toward the place of which you have said,
‘My name shall be there;’
to listen to the prayer which your servant s
hall pray toward this place.

Listen to the supplication of your servant,
and of your people Israel,
when they shall pray toward this place.
Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place;
and when you hear, forgive.

Responsorial – Psalm 84.3, 4, 5+10, 11 Resp. 2

R. How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of Hosts!

My soul longs, and even faints
for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

R. How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of Hosts!

Lo, the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young,
near your altars, Lord of Hosts,
my King, and my God.

R. How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of Hosts!

Blessed are those who dwell in your house.
They are always praising you.
Behold, God our shield,
look at the face of your anointed.

R. How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of Hosts!

For a day in your courts
is better than a thousand elsewhere
I would rather live in the house of my God,
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

R. How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of Hosts!

Gospel – Mark 7.1-13

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes
gathered together around Jesus, having come from Jerusalem.
When they saw some of his disciples eating bread with unclean,
that is, unwashed, hands, they were offended.
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews,
do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms,
holding to the tradition of the elders.
They do not eat when they come from the marketplace,
unless they bathe themselves,
and there are many other things,
which they have received that they hold to:
washing of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and beds.

The Pharisees and the scribes asked him,
“Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders,
but eat their bread with unclean hands?”
He answered them,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites,
as it is written:
‘This people honors me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me.
In vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of humans.'
“For you set aside the commandment of God,and hold tightly to the tradition of humans."
He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God,
that you may keep your tradition.
For Moses said,
‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and,
‘He who curses his father or mother, let him be put to death.’
But you say, ‘If a human tells father or mother,
“Whatever benefit you might have received from me is qorban" (which means 'given to God')
then you allow them to do nothing for father or mother,
making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down.
You do many things like this.”

The elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes,
the princes of the ancestral households
of the children of Israel,
were assembled with King Solomon in Jerusalem,
to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord
out of the city of David, which is Zion.
All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon
at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
They brought up the Ark of the Lord, and the Tent of Meeting,
and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent.
The priests and the Levites brought these up.

King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel,
who were assembled with him before the ark,
sacrificed sheep and cattle,
that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.
The priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord
to its place, to the most holy place,
under the wings of the cherubim.
For the cherubim spread their wings out
over the place of the Ark,
and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above.

There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets
which Moses put there at Horeb,
when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel,
when they came out of the land of Egypt.

It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place,
that a cloud filled the Lord’s house,
so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud;
for the Lord’s glory filled the Lord’s house.
Then Solomon said,
“The Lord has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
I have surely built you a house of habitation,
a place for you to dwell in forever.”

Responsorial – Psalm 132.6-7, 8-10 R. 8a

R. Arise, the Lord, go to your resting place.

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah.
We found it in the field of Jaar:
“We will go into his dwelling place.
We will worship at his footstool.

R. Arise, the Lord, go to your resting place.

Arise, the Lord, into your resting place;
you, and the ark of your strength.
Let your priest be clothed with righteousness.
Let your saints shout for joy!”
For the sake of your servant David,
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

R. Arise, the Lord, go to your resting place.

Gospel – Mark 6.53-56

When they had crossed over,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret,
and moored to the shore.

When they had come out of the boat,
the people immediately recognized him,
and ran around that whole region,
and began to bring those who were sick, on their mats,
to where they heard he was.
Wherever he entered,
into villages, or into cities, or into the country,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces,
and begged him that
they might touch just the fringe of his garment;
and as many as touched him were made well.

Thus says the LORD:
Distribute your bread to the hungry,
and bring the poor who are cast out into your house.
When you see the naked, cover them;
and do not hide yourself from your own flesh.
Then your light shall break out as the dawn,
and your healing shall spring out speedily;
and your righteousness shall go before you;
the Lord’s glory shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’

If you take away from your midst the yoke,
the finger-pointing and wicked speech,
and if you pour out your soul to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted soul:
then your light shall rise in darkness,
and your gloom be as the midday;

Responsorial – Psalm 112.4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Resp. 4a

R. The just man is a light in the darkness for the upright.
or
R. Alleluia!

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright,
gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It goes well for the man who deals graciously and lends.
He will maintain his cause in judgment.

R. The just man is a light in the darkness for the upright.
or
R. Alleluia!

For he will never be shaken.
The righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not be afraid of evil news.
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

R. The just man is a light in the darkness for the upright.
or
R. Alleluia!

His heart is established; he will not be afraid.
He has dispersed, he has given to the poor.
His righteousness endures forever.
His horn will be exalted with honor.

R. The just man is a light in the darkness for the upright.
or
R. Alleluia!

Reading 2 – 1 Corinthians 2.1-5

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming to you the mystery of God,
I did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom,
For I determined not to know anything among you,
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
My speech and my preaching were not
in persuasive words of human wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
that your faith would not rely on the wisdom of humans,
but on the power of God.

Gospel – Matthew 5.13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth,
but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted?
It is then good for nothing but to be cast out
and trodden under the feet of humans.

You are the light of the world.
A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do you light a lamp, and put it under a bushel basket,
but rather on a stand, and it shines to all who are in the house.
Even so, let your light shine before humans;
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.

King Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there;
for that was the great high place.
Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night;
and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”
Solomon said, “You have shown
to your servant David my father great loving kindness,
according to how he walked before you in truth,
and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you.
You have continued for him this great loving kindness,
for you have given him a son to sit on his throne,
as it is this day.

Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king
instead of David my father.
I am but a little child.
I do not know how to go out or come in.
Your servant is in the midst of
your people whom you have chosen, a great people,
that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
Give your servant therefore an understanding heart
to rule your people, that I may discern between good and evil;
for who is able to rule this great people of yours?”

The prayer pleased the Lord,
that Solomon had asked this thing.
God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing,
and have not asked for yourself long life,
nor riches for yourself, nor the life of your enemies,
but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;
behold, I have done according to your word.

Lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart;
so that there has been no one like you before you,
nor after you shall any arise like you.
I have also given you that which you have not asked,
both riches and honor,
so that there shall not be any among the kings like you, all your days.

Responsorial – Psalm 119.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Resp. 12b

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

With my whole heart, I have sought you.
Do npt let me wander from your commands.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Blessed are you, O Lord.
Teach me your statutes.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

With my lips, I have declared
all the ordinances of your mouth.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

I have rejoiced in the way of your covenant,
as much as in all riches.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Gospel – Mark 6.30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus,
and they told him all things they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile.”
For there were many coming and going,
and they had not leisure even to eat.
They went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
The people saw them going, and many came to know it
and ran there on foot from all the cities.
And they arrived before them.
Jesus came out, saw a great multitude,
and had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd,
and he began to teach them many things.

As the fat is set aside in the peace offering,
so was David chosen out of the children of Israel.
He played with lions as with kids,
and with bears as with lambs.
Did he not slay a giant,
when he was yet but young?
Did he not take away reproach from the people,
when he lifted up his hand with the stone in the sling,
and beat down the boasting of Goliath?
For he called upon the most high Lord;
who gave him strength in his right hand
to slay that mighty warrior,
and set up the horn of his people.
So the women honored him with ten thousands,
and praised him in the blessings of the Lord,
When he gave him a crown of glory,
he destroyed the enemies on every side,
and brought to nothing the Philistines his adversaries,
and broke their horn in sunder unto this day.
In all his works he praised the Holy One Most High
with words of glory;
with his whole heart he sang songs,
and loved him who made him.
He set singers before the altar,
that by their voices they might make sweet melody,
and daily sing praises in their songs.
He beautified their feasts,
and set in order the solemn seasons,
that they might praise the Holy Name,
and that the temple might resound from daybreak.
The Lord took away his sins,
and exalted his horn for ever:
he gave him a covenant of kings,
and established his throne in Israel.

Responsorial – Psalm 18.31, 47+50, 51 Resp. 47b

R. Exalted be the God of my salvation.

As for God, his way is perfect.
The Lord’s word is tried.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

R. Exalted be the God of my salvation.

The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be the God of my salvation,
Therefore I will give thanks to you, the Lord, among the nations,
and will sing praises to your name.

R. Exalted be the God of my salvation.

He gives great deliverance to his king,
and shows loving kindness to his anointed,
to David and to his seed, forevermore.

R. Exalted be the God of my salvation.

Gospel – Mark 6.14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus,
for his name had become known,
and he said, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead,
and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
But others said, “He is Elijah.”
Others said, “He is a prophet like one of the prophets.”
But Herod, when he heard this, said,
“This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.”

For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John,
and bound him in prison
for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
for he had married her.
For John said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias set herself against him,
and desired to kill him, but she could not,
for Herod feared John,
knowing that he was a righteous and holy man,
and kept him safe.
When he heard him, he was confused but he heard him gladly.
Then a day of opportunity came,
when Herod on his birthday made a feast for his nobles,
the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
When Herod’s own daughter came in and danced,
she pleased Herod and those sitting with him.
The king said to the young lady,
“Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”
He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me,
I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
She went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
She said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
She came in immediately with haste to the king,
and asked, “I want you to give me right now
the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

The king was exceedingly sorry,
but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests,
he did not wish to refuse her.
Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard,
and commanded him to bring John’s head,
and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
and brought his head on a platter,
and gave it to the young lady;
and the young lady gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard this,
they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Now the time for David to die drew near,
and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
“I am going the way of all the earth.
Be strong therefore, and show yourself a man,
and keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in his ways,
to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies,
according to what is written in the law of Moses,
that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn,
that the Lord may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying,
‘If your children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth
with all their heart and with all their soul,
you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.

David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years:
seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.

Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was established greatly.

Responsorial – 1 Chronicles 29.10bcd, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd Resp. 12b

R. O Lord, you are exalted over all

Blessed are you, LORD,
God of Israel our father,
forever and ever.

R. O Lord, you are exalted over all

Yours, O LORD is the greatness, and the power,
and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty.

R. O Lord, you are exalted over all

Lord, you are exalted over all
Yours is the kingdom, O LORD,
and you are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from you.

R. O Lord, you are exalted over all

In your hand is power and might,
and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all.

R. O Lord, you are exalted over all

Gospel – Mark 6.7-13

Jesus called to himself the Twelve,
and began to send them out two by two;
and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey,
except a staff alone:
no bread, no sack, no money in their purse,
but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics.

He said to them,
“Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there.
Whoever will not receive you nor hear you,
as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet
for a testimony against them.
They went out and preached a changing of mind.
They cast out many demons,
and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them.

King David said to Joab the captain of the army,
who was with him,
“Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel,
from Dan even to Beersheba,
and number the people, that I may know
the total number of the people.”

Joab gave up the total of the numbering of the people to the king:
there were in Israel eight hundred thousand
valiant men who drew the sword;
and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

David’s heart struck him afterward, since he had counted the people.
David said to the Lord,
“I have sinned greatly in that which I have done.
But now, Lord, put away, I beg you,
the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.”
When David rose up in the morning,
the Lord’s word came
to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
“Go and speak to David, ‘Thus says the Lord,
“I offer you three things. Choose one of them,
that I may do it to you.”’”

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him,
“Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land?
Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you?
Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land?
Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.”
David said to Gad, “I am in distress.
Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord;
for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into the hand of man.”
So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel
from the morning until the appointed time;
and there died of the people
from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the Lord relented of the disaster,
and said to the angel who destroyed the people,
“It is enough. Now stay your hand.”
The Lord’s angel was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
David spoke to the Lord
when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said,
“Behold, I have sinned, and I have acted perversely;
but these sheep, what have they done?
Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.”

Responsorial – Psalm 32.1-2, 5, 6, 7 Resp. 5c

R. Lord, forgive the guilt of my sin.

Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit there is no deceit.

R. Lord, forgive the iniquity of my sin.

I acknowledged my sin to you.
I did not hide my iniquity.
I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

R. Lord, forgive the iniquity of my sin.

For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you
in a time when you may be found.
Surely when the great waters overflow,
they shall not reach to him.

R. Lord, forgive the iniquity of my sin.

You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble.
You will surround me with songs of deliverance.

R. Lord, forgive the iniquity of my sin.

Gospel – Mark 6.1-6

Jesus went out from there.
He came into his own country,
and his disciples followed him.
When the Sabbath had come,
he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many hearing him were astonished, saying,
“Where did this man get these things?” and,
“What is the wisdom that is given to this man,
that such mighty works come about by his hands?
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and brother of James, Joseph, Judah, and Simon?
Are not his sisters here with us?”
They were offended at him.

Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor,
except in his own country, and among his own relatives,
and in his own house.”
He could do no mighty work there,
except that he laid his hands on a few sick people,
and healed them.
He marveled at their unbelief.

Absalom happened to meet the servants of David.
Absalom was riding on his mule,
and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak,
and his hair got caught in the tree,
and he was taken up between the sky and the ground;
and the mule that was under him went on.
Someone saw it, and told Joab, and said,
“Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
He took three arrows in his hand,
and thrust them through the heart of Absalom,
while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

Now David was sitting between the two gates:
and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate in the wall,
and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw a man running alone.
The watchman cried out, and told the king.
The king said, “If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth.”
The king said, “Turn aside, and stand here.”
He turned aside, and stood still.

Behold, the Cushite came and said,
“News for my lord the king;
for the Lord has avenged you this day
of all those who rose up against you.”
The king said to the Cushite,
“Is it well with the young man Absalom?”
The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king,
and all who rise up against you to do you harm,
be as that young man is.”
The king was much moved,
and went up to the room above the gate, and wept.
As he wept, he said,
“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
I wish I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!”

It was told Joab,
“Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom.”
The victory that day was turned into mourning
for all the people; for the people heard it that day,
“The king grieves for his son.”

Responsorial – Psalm 86.1-2, 3-4, 5-6 Resp. 1a

R. Hear, Lord, and answer me.

Hear, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my soul, for I am godly.
Save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.

R. Hear, Lord, and answer me.

Be merciful to me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to the soul of your servant,
for to you, Lord, I lift up my soul.

R. Hear, Lord, and answer me.

For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive;
abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
Hear, O Lord, my prayer.
Listen to the voice of my petition.

R. Hear, Lord, and answer me.

Gospel – Mark 5.21-43

When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side,
a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea.
Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came.
Seeing him, he fell at his feet, and begged him much, saying,
“My little daughter is at the point of death.
Please come and lay your hands on her,
that she may be made healthy, and live.”
He went with him, and a great multitude followed him.

A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years,
and had suffered many things by many physicians,
and had spent all that she had, and was no better,
but rather grew worse,
having heard the things concerning Jesus,
came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes.
For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.”
Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up,
and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Immediately, Jesus, perceiving in himself
that the power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd, and asked,
“Who touched my clothes?”
His disciples said to him,
“You see the multitude pressing against you,
and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
But the woman, fearing and trembling,
knowing what had been done to her,
came and fell down before him,
and told him all the truth.
He said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has made you well.
Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.”

While he was still speaking,
people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying,
“Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?”
But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken,
immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue,
“Do not be afraid, only believe.”
He allowed no one to follow him,
except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
He came to the synagogue ruler’s house,
and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing.
When he had entered in, he said to them,
“Why do you make an uproar and weep?
The child is not dead, but is asleep.”
They ridiculed him.
But he, having put them all out,
took the father of the child,
her mother, and those who were with him,
and went in where the child was lying.
Taking the child by the hand, he said to her,
“Talitha koum!”
which translated means “Girl, I tell you, get up!”
Immediately the girl rose up and walked;
she was twelve years old.
They were amazed with great amazement.
He strictly ordered them that no one should know this,
and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.

A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem,
“Arise, and let us flee; or none of us shall escape from Absalom.
Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly,
and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up;
and he had his head covered, and went barefoot:
and all the people who were with him covered their heads,
and they went up, weeping as they went up.

When King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of the house of Saul
whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera came out, and cursed as he came.
He threw stones at David, and at all the servants of King David,
and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
Shimei said when he cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and base fellow!
The Lord has returned on you all the blood of the house of Saul,
in whose place you have reigned!
The Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son!
Behold, you are caught by your own mischief, because you are a man of blood!”

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king,
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Please let me go over and take off his head.”
The king said, “What is it to you or me, sons of Zeruiah, that he curses.
Perhaps the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David;’
who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”
David said to Abishai, and to all his servants,
“Behold, my son, who came out of my loins, seeks my life.
How much more this Benjamite, then?
Leave him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has invited him.
It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me,
and that the Lord will repay me good for the cursing of me today.”
So David and his men went their way;
and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him,
and cursed as he went, throwing stones at him and dust.

Responsorial – Psalm 3.2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Resp. 8a

R. Arise, Lord! Save me!

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are those who rise up against me.
Many there are who say of my soul,
“There is no help for him in God.”

R. Arise, Lord! Save me!

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, who lifts up my head.
I cry to the Lord with my voice,
and he answers me out of his holy mountain.

R. Arise, Lord! Save me!

I laid myself down and slept.
I awakened; for the Lord sustains me.
I will not be afraid of myriads of people
who have set themselves against me on every side.

R. Arise, Lord! Save me!

Gospel – Mark 5.1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
into the country of the Gerasenes.
When he had come out of the boat,
immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him from the tombs.
He lived among the tombs.
Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains,
because he had often been bound with fetters and chains,
and the chains had been torn apart by him,
and the fetters broken in pieces.
Nobody had the strength to tame him.
Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains,
he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,
Crying out with a loud voice, he said,
“What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding.
They begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.”
At once Jesus gave them permission.
The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea,
and they were drowned in the sea.
Those who fed them fled, and reported it in the city and in the country.
The people came to see what it was that had happened.
They came to Jesus, and saw the man who had been possessed by demons
sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, he who had had the legion,
and they were afraid.

Those who saw it declared to them what happened
to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.
They began to beg him to depart from their region.
As he was entering into the boat,
he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.
He did not allow him, but said to him,
“Go to your house, to your own, and tell them what great things
the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.”
He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis
that Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.

Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I send my messenger,
and he will prepare the way before me;
and the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to his temple;
and the messenger of the covenant,
whom you desire,
behold, he comes!”
says the Lord of Hosts.
“But who can endure the day of his coming?
And who will stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire,
and like the fuller’s lye;
and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
and refine them like gold and silver;
and they shall offer to the Lord
righteous sacrifices.
Then the sacrifices of Judah and Jerusalem
will be pleasant to the Lord,
as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

Responsorial – Psalm 24.7, 8, 9, 10 Resp. 8

R. Who is the King of glory? It is the Lord!

Lift up your heads, you gates!
Be lifted up, you everlasting doors,
and the King of glory will come in.

R. Who is the King of glory? It is the Lord!

Who is the King of glory?
the Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.

R. Who is the King of glory? It is the Lord!

Lift up your heads, you gates;
yes, lift them up, you everlasting doors,
and the King of glory will come in.

R. Who is the King of glory? It is the Lord!

Who is this King of glory?
the Lord of Hosts is the King of glory!

R. Who is the King of glory? It is the Lord!

Reading 2 – Hebrews 2.14-18

Since the children have shared in flesh and blood,
Jesus himself in the same way partook of the same,
that through death he might bring to nothing
him who had the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and might deliver all of those
who through fear of death
were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

For most certainly, he does not give help to angels,
but he does give help to the seed of Abraham.
Therefore he was obligated in all things
to be made like his brothers and sisters,
that he might become a merciful and faithful
high priest before God,
to make atonement for the sins of the people.
Since he himself was tested by suffering,
he is able to help those who are tested.

Gospel – Luke 2.22-40

When the days were fulfilled of
their purification according to the law of Moses
Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem,
to present him to the Lord
as it is written in the law of the Lord:
“Every male who opens the womb
shall be called holy to the Lord”,
and to offer a sacrifice
according to that which is said
in the law of the Lord:
“A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem
whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
looking for the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was on him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
He came in the Spirit into the temple.

When the parents brought in the child, Jesus,
to do concerning him according to the custom of the law,
he took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
“Now you may release your servant, Master,
according to your word, in peace;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;
a light for revelation to the nations,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things
which were spoken concerning him,
and Simeon blessed them,
and said to Mary, his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the falling and the rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign which will be contradicted.
(Indeed, a sword will pierce through your own soul)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

There was a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher.
She was of a great age,
having lived with a husband
seven years from her virginity,
and as a widow for about eighty-four years.
She did not depart from the temple,
worshiping with fasting and petitions night and day.
Coming up at the same hour,
she gave thanks to the Lord,
and spoke of him to all those
who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.
When they had accomplished all things
that were according to the law of the Lord,
they returned into Galilee,
to their own city, Nazareth.
The child grew,
and became strong in spirit,
being filled with wisdom,
and the grace of God was upon him.